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close up side view of one vegan bbq pulled pork sandwich on a plate.
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Vegan BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings: 4 sandwiches
Calories: 480.6kcal
Author: Nisha Vora

Ingredients

  •  ½ to ⅔ cup (120 to 160g) Homemade BBQ Sauce (or your fave store-bought BBQ sauce, see Note 1)
  • 2 cups (480 mL) water
  • 2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon “no chicken” base (see Note 2)
  • 4 ounces (114g) soy curls
  • 1 tablespoon tamari or (soy sauce), divided (see Note 3)
  • 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)

For serving

  • Coleslaw (recipe card follows)
  • 4 sturdy hamburger buns (or ciabatta rolls)
  • Vegan butter for the buns (optional)
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
  • Pickles of choice (bread & butter for a sweet option)

Instructions

  • If making Homemade BBQ sauce, make that first so it can cool to room temp.
  • Heat the water and Better Than Bouillon in a medium saucepan until barely simmering, whisking to dissolve the BTB. Or, heat in the microwave until very warm.
  • If there are a lot of fine soy curls crumbs, strain in a fine-mesh sieve, then measure them out. Add the soy curls to the hot broth and push down to submerge. Remove the pan from the burner. Soak for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and let cool off a bit.
    a. While the soy curls soak and cool down, make the Coleslaw.
  • Once the soy curls aren't super hot, squeeze out the liquid: Positioned over the colander, take one handful of soy curls, cupping them between both hands, give one firm and long squeeze until the broth goes from a steady stream to droplets. Set soy curls aside on a cutting board and repeat. You should have squeezed out a fair amount of liquid (~ heaping ⅓ cup or 90 mL).
  • Slice the thicker soy curl pieces lengthwise so they’re ~ ¼” wide (or just roughly chop)—this helps the soy curls crisp up more.
  • To the soy curls in the bowl, add ½ tablespoon of tamari, then toss with your hands to coat (see Note 3). Add the remaining ½ tablespoon tamari and toss again. Then, add the cornstarch and several cracks of pepper and toss again to coat.
  • Cook the soy curls: Heat a large frying pan (see Note 4) over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil for 2 minutes. Once shimmering, add the soy curls and stir to coat in the oil. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then toss. Stir only every 90 seconds to 2 minutes, until browned and crisp on the outside, for a total of 10 to 12 minutes.
    a. Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the BBQ Sauce and toss with a silicone spatula to coat the soy curls in the sauce, cooking for just 30 seconds to prevent the soy curls from turning soggy.
  • Toast the burger buns: If desired, spread a pat of butter on each set of buns, then toast, buttered side down, in a frying pan until golden brown (or toast in a toaster oven or toaster).
  • Assemble: Scoop a generous amount of Coleslaw onto each bottom bun, then top with vegan BBQ “pulled pork” followed by a tomato slice and a few pickle slices. Top with the remaining bun.

Video

Notes

  1. If you prefer a less saucy consistency, use ½ cup (120g) BBQ sauce.
  2. If not using Better than Bouillon, replace it and the water with 2 cups (480 mL) good-quality veg broth.
  3. If you are sensitive to salt, use just ½ tablespoon of tamari here.
  4. If using a stainless steel pan, be sure to properly preheat it: preheat over medium heat for several minutes until a drop of water beads up and glides across the surface, then add the oil. Cook soy curls for 9 to 10 minutes.